


Just Ask.

by wr1t1ngz



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: 3rd person tho dw, And Lots of It, Character Study, DNF, Description Heavy, Eventual Romance, First Meetings, Getting Together, I'll add more tags later, Inspired by Music, Internal Monologue, Introspection, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Pining, Slow Burn, Wholesome I think, babes everything i say is either foreshadowing or a lie. only time will tell., but im also impatient, but like the one chapter i wrote goes in the middle so idk, dreamnotfound, i dont write long fics so, i will finish it tho dw, im a romantic babey, lots of phone calls, lots of song references / inspo, love my beta readers TT, not completed for ~suspence~, teen and up might change depending on my mood, this is gonna be short i cant do this chapter bs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28701096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wr1t1ngz/pseuds/wr1t1ngz
Summary: Dream holds his heart on his sleeve hoping that George would be willing to take it because sometimes no amount of late-night discord calls and lighthearted flirting on stream can make up for the heaviness in his chest.previously titled: "out there is a love confession with your name on it (you just have to ask for it)"but it felt too long and yes, I do listen to fall out boy how did you know?also big ty to @tj-shook-back-kippen and @squishyyyghost on tumblr for looking this over for me !! they're super awesome :)
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 87





	1. bring me back (to our own universe)

**Author's Note:**

> lol ok first dnf ff- i hope its alright. i’ve spent a fair share of time in love with close friends so there was a lot of projecting in this lol (also! a spotify playlist of all the songs that brought me some comfort and inspiration while writing this https://cutt.ly/ojlcx3b)
> 
> (dream ? pov because i uh- kinship lol)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dream finds himself lost in numbers and lost in love - but what's new?

The internet is vast and oftentimes it’s easy to feel lost among the numbers which it is made of. 

Subscriber count, likes, dislikes, channel clicks, Twitch subs- God even the code which created the internet in the first place. It’s all just a series of numbers, created to be endlessly representative of one’s supposed worth. Dream tries not to let it become too all consuming. He knows that he has to take breaks to keep himself sane, to remind himself that he is real. 

There’s a press at his insides at times though; mild but unwavering. Which makes him question if this was really always what he wanted, if he’s always been destined to a life so ironically public. Sure, he maintains some veil of privacy but Dream’s never been one to have particularly admirable emotional control. Since he was young he’d been praised for his maturity, something which was only heightened by his online presence. One can not act without discretion or awareness on the internet. Not if you wish to remain on it. but there’s a difference between response videos debunking accusations or written explanations to clarify harmful statements made against him and the falters in his voice or the softness in the way words form in his mouth. It’s funny really, how much he manages to give away without anyone even being able to see him. 

It’s worrisome, not because small hesitations might give away bigger secrets but because Dream never quite knows where he stands. He’s far from insecure, no, he’s too realistic to become too insecure but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t overthink. There’s an undeniable image which he’s created for himself which very much transcends that of a green blob- he’s funny and excitable, he can carry a conversation and make clever quips. And while he knows he’s more than the numbers on his screen and the version of himself that the internet chooses to admire- sometimes he wonders if that’s enough. 

“Oh Dream.” a sudden, familiar voice cooed.

Dream’s eyes flicker from his analytics page to the Discord window open on the other monitor. Sapnap’s icon is encircled with green as his voice continues.

“I know you’re lurking.” Sapnap’s voice holds a small smile, Dream can hear it in the way he mouths his syllables. He wonders if the same thing can be heard through his own voice. 

Dream chooses to ignore him, but mentally thanks Sapnap’s annoying sing-song voice for bringing him back into his current reality. 

Sapnap tuts distantly, “Always pretending like he doesn’t hear me, don’t you love me Dream? Huh?” 

Dream smiles wide this time, rolling his eyes and wheeling his chair side to side as he switches tabs to watch Sapnap’s Twitch stream. The chat’s rolling with endless messages mentioning him and Dream chuckles at the prompts people are sending in to Sapnap to help bait Dream into joining the VC. 

“Oh that’s smart,” Sapnap laughs and Dream searches to see what it was, “George, you tell him to join.” 

Dream’s eyebrows furrow and he checks the Discord server, scanning to see if George is even in the VC- which, apparently, he is. 

Dream wants to join just then, so that it doesn’t seem like he needs to be told by anyone, particularly not George, to join but his pressing curiosity gets the best of him and he sits back in his chair; waiting, wondering, if George will do it. 

A moment passes and the automated dono voice reads out a message to Sapnap who thanks it gently, seemingly no longer interested in George or Dream. 

Dream quirks an eyebrow too, eyes flickering to the Discord server, no green circle-

“What makes you think he’s going to listen to me?” 

George’s voice is as deadpan as usual and Sapnap laughs right after, 

“You do know we’re talking about the number one GeorgeNotFound simp right?” 

Dream cracks a smile at that, shuffling forward and pressing the unmute button, leaning in close to his mic. “You called?” 

The chat explodes in his peripheral vision and Sapnap laughs yet again as George makes a mildly uncomfortable-sounding noise. 

“Oh come on, don’t make that sound as if you don’t like the attention,” Dream smiles and Sapnap distantly agrees. Dream can hear George rolling his eyes with a small _huff_ right after. 

“Hey, you snake! You never said you love me!” Sapnap exclaims right after and Dream laughs, bright and loud. It borderlines a wheeze as he responds back with kissy noises, “Oh Sapnap my Sapnap, how I love you so!” 

The entire VC falls into a fit of laughter as Karl sends a small _“ >:( dream im watching you.” _in the Minecraft chatbox. 

The stream goes on for about another two hours; Sapnap’s the only one really playing after George had left after he finished building yet another random cottagecare house, which Tommy kept trying to light on fire. Dream tries his best to keep saying his usual script of questionable things to make for good clips on Sapnap’s channel, and to entertain the chat- knowing full well some things are going to end up in TikTok or Twitter compilations. Him and George disconnect to let Sapnap say his final goodbyes a little while later. 

And Dream assumes that’s the end of it as it usually is, especially on nights where he could sense George had already been a little tired. Not because George had said so but because he remains on mute more than not, or because he plays into jokes less often. So when Dream watches George switch his Discord to invisible it surprises him when a small red ‘ _1’_ pops up next to his icon in Dream’s direct messages. 

_“wanna vc for a bit?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one again thank u so much to my editors/beta readers* because they're making this not only so much more fun but i also feel more proud of this work.  
> *(tumblr: @tj-shook-back-kippen and @squishyyyghost (aka Ship_On_The_Sea here on AO3!))
> 
> and to anyone who may read this, i hope that you'll stay for a while :)
> 
> \- elle


	2. your hand looks heavy, let me hold it for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> late-night phone calls + heavy hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now, i must be honest here with you all, i actually took a small segment of this from a bts fic i never finished writing lol so just to put that out there, i dont think it’s too noticeable but regardless. - also you’ll know which song inspired this chapter if you’re a bts fan :)) ok lets go.

The familiar sound of the discord notification sounds in Dream’s head, taunting the way he can’t seem to stop staring at the message without actually being able to muster a response. It’s ridiculous in a sense because, as Dream often likes to remind _everyone_ ; they are best friends. They’ve been best friends for ages. A late-night (well, late for George) phone call shouldn’t have to mean this much to Dream. It shouldn’t pulse in his ribcage, threatening to spill his heart into his hands. But it does, it always does and Dream is really starting to believe that he’s going to be endlessly soft in any universe which holds George. 

His fingers dance over the top of his keyboard for a moment, a series of press, backspace, type, backspace. It goes on for long enough to be embarrassing but not too long to make George wonder.

But what if he wants George to wonder? Wonder why it takes him a moment longer than any normal friend would, to respond to such a simple question. Wonder why the ‘typing…’ message appears and disappears for a minute or two. Wonder if Dream is swallowing the flowers blooming in his heart. 

_“yeah, of course, just a sec.”_

Dream connects his phone to its charger, refusing to risk a sudden low battery, and dims the lighting in his room, the sun’s already on its way down but he closes the blinds regardless. Maybe it’s silly, maybe it’s sad but something about making the room dark, in hopes of matching George’s- it brings a little bit of warmth to him. 

He presses the little phone icon as soon as he settles and waits. His foot shakes nervously in the air, knees bent into the bed as he lays on his stomach- like some teen girl calling her crush. Well, not that it’s entirely incorrect but-

“Dream?” 

“Yeah,” Dream exhales, “I can hear you.” 

“Cool. Good.” George says quietly, Dream can hear as he turns in his bed and breathes out quietly. 

“How was today’s stream for you?” Dream asks after a moment, his tone rising at the end, hoping the question doesn’t seem too pointed. 

George makes a noise in the back of his throat, “I think you know,” he sighs, “was it that obvious” 

“No,” Dream says quickly, “No, you were perfect.” 

“You could tell.” George mumbles. Dream wonders if he’s playing with his fingers as he says it, or his hoodie string if his eyes are downcast into his bedsheets as they avoid his phone despite Dream’s eyes not actually being on him. Dream wishes his eyes were on George right now. Be it through a stream face cam, a shitty discord call or red and flushed inches away from his own.

“I’m different, am I not?” Dream asks, gentle with it, as not to alert George. This isn’t fanservice, this isn’t to get a rise out of fans. This is real and raw, this is just them. 

“‘Suppose."

They spend a moment, silence present but not pressing. No fear. Dream thinks it’s the first time his breath has felt so steady. 

“How do you do it?” George asks then, the mic crackles at the sudden intrusion. Dream wonders what he means and George senses it in the empty quiet, “Y’know, keep the energy and the fervour. I know you get tired too. Worried, maybe, even. I know you’re just as clouded with ‘what if’s’ like me, so, how do you keep yourself in that headspace?”

Dream takes a moment and considers it. Yeah, he does get tired. He _is_ tired. There’s a lot to keep afloat when you literally are an _internet personality._

“I-I don’t know.” Dream frowns dumbly, “I try not to think too hard about it. I mean- I think hard, you know my mind, I can hardly get it to stop thinking. But there’s this thing about it all, I’m not really doing it for me, per se. I am, of course, I am, I love this. I love streaming and making videos and all of it. But I know how many people need to lean on my resilience. To find comfort in my eccentricity. To find a moment of tranquillity in the time they spend with me.

George doesn’t speak at that. Dream knows he’s making sense of it.

“It’s like- I want to live diligently, but I want to provide a light in other people’s lives even if it’s all I do. I think, as people, we’re all like little lights. And everyone shines differently, I want to shine positively, comfortingly. I want to shine brighter than before.” 

“You’re like the sun,” George says and Dream can’t help but laugh. “Hey no, stop that, I mean it! You’ve got this thing- where everything just wishes to orbit you, be around you, soak in all your energy and warmth.” 

“Hmm,” Dream hums, “I am pretty hot.” 

“I swear to God,” George exclaims, “Stop trying to make everything so lighthearted, let me be the meta one for once.” 

Dream’s mouth falls closed mid-laugh but his lips quirk into a smile, his lack of response ushering George to continue. 

“You really are. And I get it. I get you. I’ll never be like that, I couldn’t. I know my responsibilities but your empathy transcends intimacy levels I’m not willing to even think about. I just, I know you’ll always be that way but sometimes I wish you weren’t.” 

“Weren’t?” Dream questions, 

“Weren’t so endlessly loving. Weren’t so willing to throw your wellbeing aside for others. I wish you’d let your heart rest.” George declares. 

Dream doesn’t think- “Would you hold it for me?"

George swallows, it carries across the call, “Wh-What?”

“My heart. Would you hold it, if it got too heavy, too tired? Would you let it, _me_ , rest?” 

George’s voice drops, “You know I would.” 

“And,” Dream starts again, mind too buzzed to even consider his words, “would you let me do the same for you? Hold you when you’re too tired to hold yourself. Take your heart into my hands, carry it so you don’t have to. Just for a moment.” 

It’s quiet for a while, George says nothing and Dream _sweats_ , worrying that maybe he’s nudged it just a bit too far. Chose his words too mindlessly and didn’t take the time to regard the impact it may have on George

But then, as if to tug at Dream's heartstrings, pull him out from the river of doubt in which he’s drowning, comes George’s voice,

“ _Please.”_

It’s soft and sudden and, God, Dream wishes he could wrap himself in this version of George. 

Maybe one day he will. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dream is a simp confirmed (me too bud)
> 
> (come talk to me on twt: @BR43DB0Y)


	3. i don't want to hurt. i just want to sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Has George always been so confident over text? Has Dream always been so susceptible to heartache?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dude i am the biggest sapnap simp like i cannot even begin to explain it i just love him and his dumb face so much i want to give him a hug omg. nothing to do with the chapter just thought i should share. 
> 
> (more on topic however- i wanted to kind of touch upon dreams neurodivergency- as someone who is also nd)

Dream rolls onto his stomach as he picks up his phone from the bedside table for the first time that night, eyes cringing at his phone screen, quickly turning the brightness down. He swipes down his notification bar and scans over his most recent messages. Some images from Sapnap which he can only assume will be a series of dumb memes. He looks through his discord as well, trying to catch up just a little with all that had been happening that day. It’s honestly not so often that he ghosts everyone all day long but today just felt a little too long- and yet somehow the time to just say hello never crossed him. It’s hard to feel like time is going so fast but also standing still. Completing daily tasks feel pressing and motivation slips from his fingers within seconds.

But now it’s late, and pretty much everyone has logged off and have finished their daily activities and it's destined to repeat over and over and it causes this itch in the back of Dream’s mind. One he can’t reach. 

He rolls over yet again, connecting his headphones to his phone and sliding through his Spotify playlists with ease- navigating him to some song. It’s not an entirely conscious process, his subconscious seems to know more about what he needs exactly at this moment. He’s got plenty to look through, a funny habit of the need for playlist curation to suit any and every bout of emotion he commonly experiences. 

Most of them are private. As they deserve to be. He deserves the privacy of something which, albeit small, could serve as endlessly revealing. Eventually, his finger settles on a gentle, mellow song by Charlie Burg, which he hadn’t listened to much in the past but right now, something as comforting and benevolent as this, it might just heal his heart. 

A deep sigh rattles through his chest and he shuffles in the bed, trying to find a comfortable place but his muscles hum with discomfort, it becomes ever more difficult for him to settle. Despite how tired he’s grown and how promising the escape of sleep seems to be, Dream knows he’s not anywhere near it. Eyes not heavy enough, mind not still enough, bed- God, bed just not comfortable enough. He lets out a sound of frustration and just gets up, falling easily into his desk chair and swirling in it slightly. 

It’s something Dream has become accustomed to; being easily prone to stimulation from things which don’t always make sense. The seams of his sweatpants digging into his thighs abnormally, his attentiveness on his breathing- wondering if it’s always so shallow, the bedsheets feeling chalky under his fingers and like he can’t breathe if he sleeps with a fuzzy blanket. It should all be normal, or at least manageable by now but days like these, where Dream feels especially detached from himself, they only make everything so much worse. He wishes he could sew his eyes shut and just sleep, and wake up tomorrow just a little more okay. 

But then like some weird work of the universe, a gift of the supernatural, a feeling of fate in an ocean of despair, his phone dings quietly from in his hoodie pocket and Dream’s eyebrows arch immediately in interest. 

The phone is in his vision, not a second later as he fumbles with the on button before scanning the notifications on his lock screen and- Oh. 

_ new message from: gogy <3 _

_ “u up?” _

Dream’s eyebrows fall, furrowing deeply this time. It's late for him but for George? Way later. Why is he awake? 

_ “yea?”  _ \- Dream messages back quickly, before even unlocking his phone. 

_ “I could see your Spotify activity.”  _ George messages and Dream smiles, 

_ “unfair is it not? i don’t even have yours.”  _ Dream jokes, it’s a joke in theory but it has always confused him as to why the Spotify exchange wasn’t a mutual one. 

The  _ “gogy <3 is typing”  _ message appears on the screen on and off for a few seconds as Dream wonders what exactly all the scrapped messages contained. 

_ “barely, you have no public playlists.”  _ George, finally, replies back and Dream internally curses him for the change of topic back to Dream. He scoffs, quiet and gentle, no real irritation behind it. He closes Discord and opens the Spotify app, scrolling through his playlists before copying the link to one of them and pasting it into the Discord chatbox. A flick of uncertainty passes him but he shakes it off, pressing send not a moment later. 

_ “oh?” _ George replies and Dream can’t help but smile just a little, lip caught in his teeth as he bounces his knee. 

About a minute passes before George is back on Discord,  _ “won’t open, says an error occurred?”  _

Dream groans, low in the back of his throat as he frowns at his phone, quickly trying the process again and checking the link opens in his own browser before sending it to George again. But again, George returns claiming it won’t open and Dream whines into his hands, 

_ “why?? why is it doing this to me?” _ he types quickly before he tries to play with the playlist settings again. 

_ “i guess Spotify just doesn’t wa-”  _

the message cuts off in the top of the popup notification and dream opens it immediately, 

_ “nt me to see that playlist you made about me.”  _

Dream freezes, fingers hovering over his keyboard. The thing is, George wasn’t exactly  _ wrong _ . The playlist Dream had sent was entirely, definitely,  _ shamelessly _ , about George. Not too long, only about 21 songs, Dream didn’t want to make it too elaborate, and a lot of the songs were on rotation. He’d change them when he found one which suddenly felt all too real and took out ones that became outdated. 17 year old Dream pining for his much cooler, much older feeling, university friend and 21 year old Dream horribly in love with his best friend are two different people after all. 

_ “nah, i’d never make such an intimate thing so publicly available, if anything i’d burn it on a cd.”  _

George doesn’t reply and Dream considers kicking himself. That was so, so stupid. God, what- what even was he saying? His sleep deprivation wasn’t this bad. Flirting, pandering, inferring, they’re all fine when there’s someone,  _ anyone _ , watching- to give it a reason, a reason beyond Dream’s ridiculous infatuation with George.

_ “like a mixtape?”  _

Dream exhales and nods as if George was there to see him. 

_ “no, I think there's too much inherent vulnerability in giving someone a playlist, or a mixtape i suppose.”  _

He hopes that it serves as some kind of cover, some kind of derailing. Anything to stop him from being so, so, honest. 

_ “oh”  _ is all he gets back from George and it makes Dream try his hardest to suppress another groan. 

but then shortly after another message pops up-  _ “damn, i was really about to fall in love with you there.”  _

and Dream’s breath stutters in his throat and he swallows deeply, he tugs at his lip between his teeth and nips at the skin, pulling at it. What? Did George mean to say that, did he mean for it to be so light-hearted? Does it carry the same weight in George’s chest as it does in Dreams?

_ “that's all it would have taken???”  _ Dream replies hastily, near joking but entirely, personally hoping that George sees through him. 

_ “what can i say?”  _ George sends and then,  _ “I'm easy, but just for you.”  _

And Dream’s face flushes, a deep deep red, he feels the warmth seeping into his cheeks and neck- almost like a hand trailing his body. God how he wishes it was George. Smaller, rougher hands, smoothing across the side of his face down into the crook between his neck and shoulder, fingers stretching- extending to press at his Adam's apple- 

_ “im, well, im flattered.”  _

It’s a ridiculously mundane answer and he almost cringes as he sends it but he needs this conversation to regain control before his heart will pull from his chest and expose all of him right here right now to, a probably very tired, George who most likely doesn’t even understand his impact in the slightest. 

Dream starts typing again before George can send his next message,  _ “hm now, why did you actually text me?” _ and he exhales, hoping to find some tranquil in the gaps between their exchanges. 

George takes a moment, probably deleting whatever else he was going to say-,  _ “didn’t talk to you today. wanted to see if u were ok.”  _

It’s simple enough and yeah, it’s accurate and normal for a friend to want to check up on him but this isn’t just a friend, it’s  _ George _ . 

_ “im gud i guess. just had quite the day. mind all busy n stuff. you know how it is.” _ Dream sends back, passive but earnest. 

George responds a second later,  _ “wanna talk about it?”  _

Dream shakes his head,  _ “nah, i’d much prefer to hear about you.”  _

and again, George takes a moment to respond, the typing bubbles coming and going in a familiar rhythm and as Dream considers sending another message- 

_ Incoming video call: gogy <3 _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (also double update so keep going and lmk what u think!)


	4. i wanna be weightless tied to you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream lets his feelings into the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this - hmm. this was actually the very first thing i wrote for this fic and everything else was built around it. hope u all like it. also double update bc i was gone for long and i want this chapter out!

Dream’s not really ready to sleep yet. There’s so much still pushing at his brain- so many thoughts which he hopes he doesn’t miss because recently they’ve all been so persistent and he wants to take time, to unpack each and everyone, gently, in their own time. 

But George is already here, pretty in the dimmed blue lighting of his bedroom. Laying on his side, mumbling easily about some dogs he’d seen at the park earlier. George’s voice is heavy and slurred as sleep prods at him; Dream knows it’s not long before he’ll be out. He’s still at his PC, unlike George, mindlessly pressing buttons and scrolling through Twitter trying to not focus too hard on George's peaceful figure. 

“Aren’t you going to sleep too?” George looks a little more awake now- it’s barely there but he’s pushed himself up a little and his eyebrows are furrowed, eyes squinting at the camera. 

Dream realises his camera is probably an eye strain with all the lights he’s got on. They’re off not a moment later. 

“I suppose.” Dream switches to his bed, holding his breath as he listens to see if he had missed anything George had wanted to say, but alas, he said nothing. 

George seems to realise his change in positioning due to the shuffling of bedsheets and small  _ oof _ he lets out as his body hits the bed at last. Dream gives it a moment, propping his phone up on the bedside table and then Dream waits, wondering if George had fallen asleep yet. 

“You’re not gonna turn the camera on?” George asks, in his perfectly pleasant voice- it’s not really a question, but rather a reminder for Dream. 

When the camera turns on George smiles as their eyes greet each other again, it's small and dopey and entirely George.

Neither of them say much after that, George seems to be touching the edges of sleep and Dream let’s himself watch. He wonders if George’s bed sheets are warm enough- or maybe too warm. He wonders if George sleeps with just the one pillow or if there’s one pressing at his back, or one tucked under his arm. Dream wonders if in some funny reality, if he could fit himself somewhere in this image, if it could work. 

The intricacies of why this  _ wouldn’t  _ work run deep within both of them. But somehow, seeing George in front of him like this, Dream wonders if maybe, his desire to reach into George's chest and hold his heart, his desire to touch George's soul- burning and barren at Dream’s fingertips- maybe that desire runs deeper. Is it a desire? Is it something he yearns to have or is it something he needs- not a desire, but an intrinsic requirement. 

Maybe, perhaps, in another reality, another life, another year. Perhaps they could be more than this. Dream could love George how he deserves; brightly, openly. And maybe George could return it. 

But for people like Dream, people often broken and repaired by the spirit of love, just getting to love George... for people like Dream, that's enough. 

It's strange and scorches him hollow with uncertainty. It makes his heart heavy, dragging behind him like an extension of himself- but never, and this is important- never is it burdensome. 

To love is not to carry a burden. Not if it's George he’s loving. 

George's breathing looks peaceful, Dream’s catches in his throat as he reminds himself of where he actually is. He takes a moment more and then reaches forward, dumbly nudging at the  _ mute _ button before turning onto his back. 

Dream knows his limits and boundaries well. Dream knows where he can go and when he’ll be pushing George and himself both from this nook which they’ve created in the space between them. But sometimes, in moments where he likes to believe the door has been opened or simply unlocked, he thinks that it could be so easy to push it just a bit further and to take George's hand into his and promise him that this will be worth it. 

While Dream wishes to love George, he does not wish to have him. George is a universe of his own and Dream is glad to orbit carefully. Dream does not wish to possess George, George is to be no one's but his own. 

But sometimes Dream wishes that he could be George’s. 

“I hope you know that I would be yours in a heartbeat,” Dream speaks. “All you have to do is look at me, all you have to do is ask. And I’d love you, love you for as long as you’d let me. No matter where we are or who we become; part of myself will always be yours to take.” His eyes bore into his ceiling, words ringing in his mind even after he’s said them. 

It’s different for them because George was never meant to be held for too long. And while Dream would be willing to hold him, close and dear, till he melted Dream’s skin and left his bones aching, he doesn’t want George to ever feel trapped in his embrace- in his company. 

“But George, you don't know it but you're already holding me down, hopelessly devoted to you.” The words fall from him easily, like they’ve been meaning to spill out of his heart and into the world for ages. 

Dream sighs, blowing the air out carefully as he digs his fingers into the bedsheets and whispers, “ You'll never know the fullest extent of it, and maybe that's okay. Maybe you'd find it smothering, maybe it would destroy any flame you might be willing to burn for me.” 

Dream lets himself wallow in the confession. Mind buzzing with a melancholy euphoria. He feels as if he’s finally reached the top of his mountain of budding emotion and thought. As if he’s finally conquered a George sized alp in his mind. As he stands at the edge, the moment delicate and Dream wishes he could feel this weightless forever. 

But then there’s a small crack of static and a modest intake of breath, but not into Dream’s lungs. 

“I’d like to know- the fullest extent of it all.” 

And Dream falls from his mountain as it crumbles beneath his feet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is kinda ? idk i like it LOL lmk what u guys think  
> also come talk to me on socials if you'd like!  
> twt: BR34DB0Y  
> tumblr: d00delle


	5. i want to get to know you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the ultimate rebirth of a relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ask and you shall receive leon ;)  
> this was meant to be up before valentines but i was just endlessly dissatisfied with it. i hope it’s, i just hope it’s something worth reading. + dialogue-heavy because they NEED to talk.

Dream feels the way his heart stops, still in his throat and he swallows hard. His eyes flicker to the phone, George’s face on the screen- oh he is awake now. The mute button, which was meant to have a line through the icon, is very much not selected and oh, George surely just heard all of that. He is quick to avert his gaze down to the bed, not letting himself look at George for too long or else he’ll fall back into a headspace that encourages him to be reckless. He wonders for a moment if he could just make up some excuse about hearing Sapnap throwing up in the other room or end the call and say his electricity went out but something about George being right there- it feels wrong. He's in this now and the responsibility is his to take. 

“You weren’t meant to hear that.” Dream mumbles.

“You sure?” George asks and Dream can feel the way tears are starting to prick at his eyes, “It sounded like you wanted someone to hear.”

And he chokes on the air in his throat, “Not, not you. I didn’t want you to-”

“Why not me?” George intercepts, sounding a little worked up, “You were talking about me were you not? So why would I not be allowed to hear.”

There is a pause and Dream can feel that George has more to say by the way he doesn’t quite exhale with his words,

“Was, was I ever going to hear this?”

Dream’s eyes shoot up at the pure vulnerability in George’s voice, not quite sad but definitely distressed, “Ideally? No.”

Dream watches as George thumbs at his collarbone with his thumb, a nervous tick he had developed a long, long time ago and Dream wonders if he’s always just known about it.

“So what? you would have just kept it to yourself? That’s harsh, isn’t it? Not letting me even be a part of the idealisation you have me?” George’s voice is tense the way that Dream’s entire body is, and he cringes at George’s words.

“It is _not_ an idealisation. It’s just you.”

“It sure as hell feels like one.” George huffs and Dream frowns at the clear irritation in his voice.

“Are you, are you mad at me? What is going on?” dream asks as he pushes his hair back aspirated.

George raises his eyebrows into the camera and sucks his teeth, “I’m not _mad_ , God Dream don’t try to turn it like that right now.”

“Then why are you being like this?” Dream half laughs, he wishes he didn’t sound so bitter.

“Why are you not doing what I asked?” George says quietly, and Dream just stares back, “I said that I’d like to know the fullest extent of it all.

Oh. _Oh._ Dream stills his entire body, not even having realised he’d been bouncing his knee and picking mindlessly at the fluff of the blanket under him. This, this wasn’t where it was supposed to go. Were Dream to make a mistake like this then he’d expect George to stay quiet, pretend he didn’t hear and then distance himself slowly, no longer offer after stream calls and stop playing into their pandering.

But here George is, pretty as ever and a very dangerous proposition on his lips.

“I, I wouldn’t even know where to start.” Dream whispers and the way George looks at him through the screen, eyes glossy and eyebrows twitching makes him want to push the hair from his face so he can see him just a little better, a little closer.

George stays quiet, contemplating for a moment before sitting up properly and grabbing his phone. He leaves the app; Dream can tell because his camera switches off and once again, he feels like he might just throw up in anticipation as George mumbles a “Give me a second.”

He’s finished tapping at buttons less than five minutes later and Dream has resorted to anxiously picking at the skin around his nails to give him something, anything to be doing with himself.

“Okay.” George says simply, a notification from their discord DM’s appear on Dreams screen and then George is back in front of the camera, “I’m giving you a week. To figure out where to start.”

Dream slides down on the notification, which is an attached screenshot and-

Oh God.

“George…” Dream trails off, “Are you sure?”

“I’m coming to you; I’ll be able to see Sapnap as well. And Florida and, well obviously, you. Don’t make me regret this.”

Dream can hear the nerves in his voice. George isn’t this impulsive usually, he likes to think things out, there’s a reason he’s not been to the US before. There’s always been a reason, an excuse, anything that would leave him homebound. But now, with a flight ticket already purchased, and the proof sent to Dream all within 5 minutes, now seems to be the time for him.

“Listen Dream.” George speaks up again, “You, you mean a lot to me. And I’m not the best at talking about these things but you know that above all else you are my best friend. And this, what just happened, the things you said, the choices I made, they are what they are, and they are real.”

Dream exhales, picking at his lip with his teeth, “I just don’t want to be too much.”

“You’re already everything to me Dream.” George presses, not letting Dream fall victim to his own mind. “Just like I don’t know the fullest extent of you, you don’t know the fullest extent of me. Let’s do this right. Let’s learn together. From the start.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next one is gonna be a long one but they needed to have a god damn CONVERSATION before that.  
> love u guys,  
> \- e


End file.
